Brown University is an Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the third-oldest intitution of higher education in New England and the seventh-oldest in the United States. Brown was the first college in the nation to welcome students of all religious affiliations.

One of the most prestigious universities in the world, Brown distinguishes itself from its peer institutions through its "New Curriculum." Instituted in 1969, it allows students to more flexibly determine their own educational paths by eliminating distribution requirements and mandatory grading (allowing all courses to be taken on a "satisfactory/no credit" basis).

Admissions to Brown is extremely competitive. At 16%, the College has the sixth lowest acceptance rate in the United States, after Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, and Stanford (the ranking is for doctoral universities, as categorized by the Carnegie Foundation and U.S. News & World Report). Students come from all 50 states, as well as 65 countries. Brown's financial aid program awards approximately $30 million each year in the form of scholarships, jobs, and loans. Over 50% of students receive some form of financial aid.

Brown is notable for, among other things, having the only Egyptology and History of Mathematics departments in the United States. Brown was also one of the first institutions to emphasize media studies, with its department in Modern Culture and Media, where students study film, film criticism, and critical theory.

Brown's campus is located on College Hill, across the Providence River from downtown Providence. The College Hill neighborhood is home to an extensive collection of historic colonial architecture. Adjacent to University and at the base of College Hill is the campus of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources. They offer joint courses and students at each institution may cross-register in courses offered by the other institution.

Since 2001, Brown's current and 18th president is Ruth J. Simmons, the first African American president, and second female president, of an Ivy League institution, as well as the first female president of Brown.

The school colors are seal brown, cardinal red, and white. Brown's sports teams are called the "Bears". The use of a bear as the University's mascot dates back to 1904. People associated with the University are known as "Brunonians".